INTBHISSTINU FACTS,. 



39 



boat, it gives out phosplioric iiintU'r, luaviua- a 

 firilliaiit lino in tliv. )>o;it's wake, am! tlic hhidcs 

 of tlie oars wlieii raised froiii the water seein to 

 be ^irippiiig with li(|uiil phosphorus. 



Ky«a heHem €lie tiopsm, the phos^^o^c 

 h"^;-ht is in^ii^jitd m- dimiiiisliiMl in its i!ogr^e 

 of hrilliaiicy, in a very slight iliii'criMict' of kiti- 

 tude ; on one day it would be seen to a most 

 magjoificeut extent, oxi the next it mdld h& 

 p^&p& misrdy a few laniin(m& 'Mm, 1% 

 might ]>roceed from tlie shoals of marine aMi^ 

 mals, that caused tlie l)rilliaiiey to be less ex- 

 tensively distributed over one part of the ocean 

 than another. That I am correct in asserting 

 that some of the animals ^ich occasion the 

 plinsi>]iorie h"ght. emitted l)y tlie ocean, do travel 

 in sboals, and are distributed in some latitudes 

 only ill a \ ery linnted range, 1 insert two (acts 

 which occurred during this voyage, and which 

 will no dotfb* be r^rded as inierestiitg * 



On rhe 8ib of June, being then in latitude 00*^ 

 30' ^oMth, aud loii^itmh' *27*' 5' west, having fine 

 wcatht i' aud a. IVesh sduth-eastrrly trade wind, 

 and range of tlie thermometer being from 76" to 

 84^ la:te H ttie mate of the watiih oacme 

 and called me to witness a very unusnai appear- 

 ance in the water, which be, on first seeing, 

 I'onsidrrefl to be breakers. On arriving upon the 

 deck, this was Found to be a very broad and 



